


Let Me Count The Ways

by orphan_account



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Human AU, M/M, honestly this is just gay bullshit, i'll add real tags when i know what i'm doing, there will probably be sex at some point so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:04:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4800509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruki Mukami thought he was living the life of anyone's dreams until one fateful drunken night and a sweet blonde with a voice like honey threw him severely off track.</p><p> </p><p>Modern day human AU fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me Count The Ways

There were very few things that Kou was completely sure of, but he had a mental list nevertheless:

\- He would never find anyone he could really trust.

\- He would never move out of the shitty apartment he was somehow managing to scrape the finances together to rent.

\- That the rich looking guy with dark hair that occasionally stopped by the classy place downtown was the most beautiful person on this planet.

 

A heavy sigh hitched in the back of his throat, Kou thudded his way down the stone steps to the underground bar that he'd been performing in since he was fifteen.

 

The same cheap neon fairy lights lit up his path in the same manner as ever, and it was warmly reassuring to see his old guitar resting against the stone bricked walls. Upon seeing the dimly illuminated door to the side of a furniture crafter's unusually hung with red and black lace drapes, The Woodlouse was the sort of place you'd expect to be a themed hideaway, some sort of fascinating little hiding place from the hectic city life that you'd only hear about from hushed recommendations from acquaintances.

 

Reality, however, was that it was just a cramped, grim downstairs drinking establishment; distastefully decorated with a couple of clashy floral-centered paintings and a singular massive dream-catcher hung from a hook behind the bar. Flickering lights were attached to the ceiling, casting an uneven yellowish glow across the rectangular room, accompanied by a tall lamp adjacent to the stage he performed on; a little round platform in the corner, empty except for a silver mic on a stand and rimmed with yet more fairy lights.

 

The cobwebs were the worst part. Every single upper corner of the room had a white net covering it, sometimes occupied by a spider.

 

All in all though, The Woodlouse was a pleasant place. The beer was better than a lot of the high-end places, and the wine was second-to-none seeing as the owner's late husband came from a family of brewers that she got sent as pity-gifts regularly.

 

"Evening, Sato-san!"

 

Kou greeted the friendly old widow in a way identical to every other night; with a cheery wave and a spring in his step.

 

He didn't think there had ever been a time after getting into this routine that he hadn't addressed her in that same way, though there had certainly been times he'd barely held in tears or a furious scream.

 

What was the point in concerning an aging lady with his mood swings when she only cared about him due to the revenue he brought to this dusty place anyway? There was none. It was surely a blessing that Kou had grown quite good at masking his emotions with a convincing grin and perky tone, otherwise she may have tossed him out for good on account of the true form of his rages.

 

There used to be a couple of other singers he was close with that used to perform in the Woodlouse alongside him, but both had moved on to college a couple years back. He would have followed them if it wasn't for the strange notion that it would only result in constant misery for him.

 

No, Kou thought this life was just fine for him. Earning a (very low) keep as an assistant for a local family run business firm and then playing his heart out in the good old underground bar he knew so well for some sizeable tips from new customers and returning ones alike.

 

Just half an hour to go until opening time, when the steady trickle of customers would begin to enter right up until two in the morning. It seemed that him and old Sato were the only ones inside the building at the moment, the other three had yet to arrive.

 

As was her usual ritual, the stumpy woman began to spritz the place with some sort of sandalwood spray, something Kou considered to be a rather strange choice for the location, though it was most likely one of the only things strong enough to mask the musty smell blanketing the place.

 

One bathroom trip and a sound test later, the petite bartender floated down the steps with her platinum blonde locks curled softly and adorned with a little flower hairclip. An iced-chocolate coloured chiffon dress draped itself over her skinny frame, the ensemble finished off with pastel pink pumps. As cute as ever.

 

It was a shame Kou wasn't into girls, or he knew he would have angled for her by now. In fact, it was an even bigger shame that he wasn't into anybody other than what he'd only described in a cliché fashion as a 'Tall, Dark Stranger'.

 

Name, age, career, address: unknown. An unsatisfactory situation, but Kou was hardly going out of his way to find him. The risk was too great, even if he could chance a conversation with the object of his distant affections. A boyfriend would disrupt the peace Kou had finally found for himself after that hellish childhood. The calming routine? Gone. Although, that was rather a stupid primary concern considering the fact that there was no guarantee the man would be into him, or of course would even be into men.

 

Despite all of these potential daydream worries, it was still a lovely fantasy to hold. He could recall that expensive grey suit that he somehow managed to wear casually. That soft seeming raven hair that graduated at the tips, which on the first time of encounter had dripped with the midnight downpour. It was tricky to picture the details of his face as Kou had glanced at him from afar before, but an image of slightly slanted downwards eyes set upon a pale, carved face came to mind when he thought of him.

 

"Kou-kun, Sato-san!"

 

Yui's bellchime voice sounded from the arch at the bottom of the stairs, and she quickly took her place behind the dulled marble counter, shining a few of the glasses for no particular reason.

 

Not long after, the other two arrived together, though as usual one of them didn't look too happy about it.

 

Naoya Itami, the beginner detective by day and performer by night. He was lanky, with slightly greasy looking dyed-purple hair. He was pleasant enough to hang around, but it wasn't hard to tell he smoked weed every day after getting out of work from both his face and his smell. Despite the fact that he was in his mid-twenties, his voice still seemed to crack in normal speech like an adolescent kid. His singing, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

 

And then came the fourth worker. Definitely not the type to sing, Subaru liked to keep himself firmly behind the bar with as little customer interaction as possible. Any other employer than Sato would have fired him for his unsocial and aggressive behaviour, but she seemed to treat him like her own son.

 

It almost made Kou a little jealous, he almost considered the old woman a maternal figure himself, seeing as she was the only older woman he associated with. Regrettably though, she always had somewhat of a distant and false air around him while she could never seem to stop showering Subaru with hugs and free drinks.

 

Her clear favouritism was a pain, sure. But there was nothing he could do to help it, although he was completely certain that his personality was more likeable than Subaru's. After all, he wasn't a grumpy prick that got overemotional over the slightest provocation. At least, not at work.

 

"Hey."

 

That was pretty much the most pleasant thing Subaru would ever say to the other four in the crew of The Woodlouse, on a good day he might actually ask how the rest of them were though Kou was usually ignored by him for some unknown reason. Not that it bothered him.

 

He sometimes wondered if Subaru knew that by day he worked for the company that his other five rich-ass brothers owned as some sort of low-ranking assistant. No doubt he probably had contempt over it, Kou could only assume he'd had some quarrel with the others or just plain didn't like them; which didn't surprise him. The Sakamaki brothers were certainly the most intolerable people Kou had ever had to meet, and knowing they could fire him for the slightest slip-up was truly a dreadful feeling.

 

Subaru was practically an angel compared to them.

 

"Opening up!"

 

Sato waddled up the steps to flip the little cardboard sign above the drapes to 'Open for business!', and that was where the night that would change Kou's life for good began.

 

By the look of the puddle of quickly dimming light at the bottom of the stairs, the evening had started.

 

Six o' clock, the right time for the customers to enter and make their orders.

 

And so they did.

 

The regular group of teenage girls that weren't of legal age to drink, yet still somehow managed to sneak a mug of beer most nights from the regrettably lenient Yui showed up first.

 

Whether this was overconfidence or not, Kou was quite sure that they only turned up to admire him and the other two males in employment there. He didn't mind, it wasn't as if they were bad conversers to pass the time he wasn't performing with. Besides, he needed all the tips he could gather.

 

Then came the elderly couple that seemed to come once or twice a month, always saying they were celebrating some abstract special event like a 'half-birthday' or some foreign holiday.

 

That night, it had been Naoya's turn to start off with the music, having selected a few country ballads to warble pleasantly to. Meanwhile, Kou seated himself up on the counter with a complimentary shot of whiskey and listened, giving the odd round of applause and cheer for the man he supposed he thought of as a friend.

 

Finally, his comrade exited the poor excuse for a stage with a grin and a jerk of his thumb to indicate Kou's turn to sing for the little crowd of drinkers present. Nothing to do but oblige of course, and chance a cheeky wink at the audience who's eyes had already began to flicker his way, their chatting slowly going silent as he tapped the old fashion mic.

 

"Ahah, tonight I'll be singing a few covers. Some you'll have heard from me before, some you won't have. I work hard on this just for you lot, y'know!"

 

He had this technique of smiling in such a manner that even if his eyes didn't meet yours, you'd still wholeheartedly believe that cheerful warmth was aimed only at you; and that was the smile he made before every performance.

 

The first strum of his guitar resonated through the bar, his smooth voice beginning to sound out the lyrics of some love ballad he'd learnt over the spare time he had between his morning shifts at work and showing up at The Woodlouse.

 

It wasn't like the words resonated with him, in fact he was quite sure that his singing sounded flat and emotionless though the observers didn't seem to notice due to the respectful silence they still held.

 

_"Won't you always be my side?”_

 

A pale golden spotlight slowly turned on above Kou’s head, bathing his delicate features and blonde hair in a softly glowing light, giving him an almost angelic appearance. It had been turned on a few minutes ago at the start of his intro, but everything was a little rusty in this place and the ambience was no exception.

 

_“I’d forgive you even if you ran from m--”_

 

What Kou saw then was nearly enough to make him choke and break off his tuneful singing.

 

Sitting at the bar with the heaviest alcohol they sold, barely illuminated enough to clearly make out his features was the stranger that had occupied the back of his mind for months.

 

The way he held himself was different. His back was curved as he slumped over the surface, his previously glittering eyes dull and hollow.

 

What had happened to Kou’s fairytale prince? The proud looking man, unscathed by such trivial things as icy winds and torrential rain? He intended to find out.

 

_“Tell me, what am I to you now?”_

 

A professional singer couldn’t let himself get off track, could he? His breaths were gathered within a few seconds, fully able to continue with the chorus. ‘Keep calm, keep calm,’ was all that was running through his head, the one point of coherence amidst his chaotic thoughts.

 

Cigarette smoke dispersed from some addict at the premium table, lit up at the edges just like a silver-lined cloud. It was that instant at which the mystery male’s empty gaze finally flicked up to connect with Kou’s own baby-blues.

 

How else could it be described than a second of clarity? A moment that was enough for Kou to realise just why he’d been unable to cast this man from his thoughts for more than a single day for the past few months. They say that to imagine the sheer amount of emotions that can be conveyed within a single glance is foolish, but if anyone could have seen that one exchange of curiosity and wonder between the two strangers they would have switched up their scepticism before too long.

 

_“Promise me you’ll stay.”_

 

The final note of the song couldn’t have come quick enough, Kou almost dropped his guitar after taking his miniature bow in making his way over to seat himself on the plush stool next to the male’s.

 

Before Kou could even speak to introduce himself, a deep yet slurred from drink voice sounded from the chapped lips of the other.

 

“You know, I wouldn’t normally come somewhere like this.”

 

Were those stoic seeming eyes red-rimmed with dried up tears? They clearly held hints of sleep deprivation, either way.

 

“I’d been drinking in the place across the road, but your fucking voice...”

 

Kou just blinked a couple of times, his teeth scraping over his lower lip in anticipation for the mumbled speech to continue.

 

The handsome man slammed his large palm down on the counter, yet again meeting the blonde’s gaze. Something about his drunk self seemed... Irritated? Impossible to read.

 

“It’s like someone unhooked the stars and shoved them down your throat.”

 

Definitely speaking with a grumble now, the other took a long swig of vodka; consuming more in a single swallow than Kou normally managed per night.

 

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Heh, anyway... What are you doing in this part of town? You look too rich for our standards.”

 

Hopefully, Kou had sounded confident and teasing. That’d impress him, right? Make him seem attractive? The utterly hammered man just groaned and tangled his slender fingers in his raven hair, masking his face in the process.

 

“Ask me something different, can’t you? Something normal... I don’t know, my name?”

 

Ah. Personal? Most likely.

 

“Fine, fiine. Sir, won’t you tell me the details of your identity?”

 

“It’s Ruki Mukami.”

 

_Ruki_ slid his glass across to Yui in a silent request for a top-up.

 

“Kou.”

 

“That it?”

 

“Yeah, that’s it.”

 

He wasn’t in the mood to depress such a gorgeous man with some tragic tale of why he didn’t accept his real last name, and luckily Ruki seemed to be just fine with it. Perhaps he understood.

 

“Look, I’ll be right back.”

 

With an apologetic glance, Kou jogged his way to the unisex toilet behind the storage room and locked himself in a grubby cubicle, his eyes wide.

 

“That was him, that was him!”

 

He muttered to himself ecstatically, unable to keep his mind off the knowledge that Ruki had been drawn to him by the mere sound of his singing.

 

Was it fate?

 

No, how stupid.

 

“What to do now? Flirt some more? Try to get in his bed? Give him my number?”

 

The last option seemed most sensible, and once he calmed himself down that was what he resolved to do. Kou knew himself that thinking this man could ever be his boyfriend was getting far ahead of himself, but he couldn’t help but hope.

 

The negative part of him served as a reminder that Ruki was clearly completely off his face after having so much alcohol, he probably wouldn’t even have looked at Kou had he seen him any other time.

 

Still... Coincidences like this don’t just happen for no reason, do they? Of course not.

 

Having cleared his mind, Kou rushed his way back only to see the seat Ruki was sat on unoccupied.

 

Damn it! How could he have just left after just beginning to hit something off with Kou? And why?

 

“No, ugh...”

 

Kou ran a hand through his blonde locks and sprinted up the stairs with a hurried shout to Subaru that he probably wouldn’t be back.

 

“Hey Ruki!?”

 

He yelled out, uncaring of any passer by that heard his shout though there were none about. There was no answer from who he desired, the only response being the caw of the night birds just starting to come out. How lonely.

 

 

Lying on his bed later curled up, Kou’s only thoughts were of that dark haired man he’d enjoyed that chance encounter with. There was a chance he’d return tomorrow night, wasn’t there? Now that he knew where to find the blonde, just maybe...

 

Either way, there was no doubt who’d be occupying his dreams that night.


End file.
